Havas launches luxury experiential agency Shortcut Shobiz India, Farah Lauren Khan to lead
CE DESK 
Havas India has launched Shortcut Shobiz India, a new luxury and lifestyle experiential agency. The agency is created in partnership with Shortcut, a Paris-headquartered agency that curates high-end luxury and lifestyle experiences, and Shobiz, Havas India’s experiential agency. Shortcut Shobiz India will be led by Farah Lauren Khan, an experiential marketing and brand strategy leader with over 15 years of experience. She will serve as Vice President of Shortcut Shobiz India and will be based in Mumbai.
Farah Lauren Khan brings extensive experience in creating immersive brand experiences across luxury and lifestyle sectors. Over the course of her career, she has partnered with globally recognised brands including Apple, Bvlgari, Cartier, Christian Louboutin, Dior, Estée Lauder, Ferrari, Gucci, Hermès, Jo Malone, Rolls-Royce, Rolex, St. Regis Hotels, Tod’s, Zara and W Hotels, among others. In her new role, she will report to Sameer Tobaccowala, CEO, Shobiz. Her mandate will span brand experiences, product launches, exhibitions, immersive pop-ups and installations, corporate events, institutional ceremonies, creative strategy and content production.
Shortcut Shobiz India is positioned around the philosophy of ‘Experiences Designed with Artistic Intelligence’. The agency brings together French savoir-faire, global creative excellence and Indian craftsmanship. It will design and produce experiences and events for brandhouses, institutions and organisations. The launch marks Shortcut’s entry into the Indian market, following its recent expansion into Milan. The new agency will focus on India’s growing luxury and lifestyle sector, which is valued at approximately $10 billion to $12.1 billion, according to the McKinsey and Business of Fashion State of Fashion Report 2025.
Lionel Laval, co-founder & co-president, Shortcut, added, “Shortcut Shobiz India is, first and foremost, a creative partnership built on trust, shared values and complementary expertise. From our first conversations with Rana, Sameer, Farah and the Shobiz teams, it was clear that we shared the same passion for creativity, craftsmanship and executional excellence. Beyond their professionalism, I have been deeply impressed by the generosity, curiosity and creative energy of the India team. By combining Shortcut’s artistic intelligence and finesse with Shobiz’s creative dynamism, production capabilities and deep local understanding, we have a unique opportunity to create a new generation of immersive experiences for luxury, beauty, fragrance and lifestyle brands in India.”
Christophe Pinguet, co-founder & co-president, Shortcut, said, “Shortcut Shobiz India marks a defining milestone in our entrepreneurial journey. Having celebrated 30 years of Shortcut in July 2026, this venture represents both the strength of our legacy and the beginning of an exciting new international chapter. Together with Shobiz and Havas India, we are bringing together French savoir-faire, artistic intelligence, operational excellence and India’s remarkable creative talent to design experiences that are locally meaningful and internationally inspiring. I sincerely thank Yannick Bolloré, Sameer Tobaccowala and Rana Barua for their confidence in this shared entrepreneurial ambition.”
Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas India, SEA & North Asia (Japan & South Korea), said, “India and France have long shared a strong commercial and cultural relationship, this partnership arrives at a particularly crucial moment when India’s luxury and lifestyle market is growing at an unprecedented speed. As we keep growing, Shortcut Shobiz India (which is the 26th expertise added to the One Havas ecosystem in India) will not only add more power to our suite of expertise but also strengthen our integrated offerings. Of the 1000+ clients in Havas India’s portfolio, we already have a significant roster of luxury and lifestyle client partners. And there are many more that want to expand into the luxury category. Shortcut Shobiz India will help us further strengthen our client partnerships and unlock many new business conversations.”
Sameer Tobaccowala, CEO, Shobiz, added, “I’ve spent much of my career watching India’s experiential industry evolve from delivering events to creating moments that shape how people connect with brands. Nowhere is that evolution and momentum more evident than in the luxury space, where audiences expect experiences that are thoughtful, immersive, and deeply authentic. What excited me about this partnership is that Shortcut and Shobiz share a core belief: true creative brilliance only happens when world-class design and flawless execution exist as one. By anchoring this agency at Shobiz’s offices across India, we’re blending Shortcut’s global conceptual heritage with our creative depth, scale, and understanding of the Indian consumer. Together as partners, we’re setting a new standard for what collaborative experiential marketing can achieve here.”
Shortcut Shobiz India will combine Shortcut’s experience in luxury-led creative concepts with Shobiz’s local production and execution capabilities. The agency will operate from Mumbai, with regional offices in Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai. It will work with luxury and lifestyle brands, as well as clients in hospitality, wellness, fashion and culture. The new entity becomes Havas India’s 26th specialist offering. It will target luxury and lifestyle brands across India. By combining global creativity with local insight, Shortcut Shobiz India aims to transform luxury brand experiences in the Indian marke
